Dialogue With Hizb Egyptian Spokesman

IslamOnline has a dialogue with the official spokesman of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in Egypt

Attention: open in a new window. PDFPrintE-mail

Tuesday, 18 October 2011 23:31

Hizb-ut-Tahrir: ‘We request that the army establishes the Khilafah in Egypt’

Dialogue conducted by: Mustafaa Zahraan

IslamOnline – Cairo

A few days ago Hizb-ut-Tahrir Wilaayah Egypt issued a statement condemning the relationship between the Egyptian military establishment and the United States of America describing it as a relationship of following and subservience and it accused Washington of interfering in the internal and external affairs of Egypt. The statement also indicated that the fallen regime of Mubarak is still in effect ruling Egypt.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir is one of the most significant Islamic movements, it has a presence in a number of the world’s nations including Britain and it focuses its Daw’ah on the establishment of the Islamic Khilafah. This is the pivotal issue which stands as the priority of this Hizb and which it engages in struggle to achieve. This issue represents one of the most significant problems and objections to the work of the Hizb which have outlived its founder, Sheikh Taqiuddeen An-Nabhaani.

Despite the launching of the Hizb in the middle of the last century and its entry in to many of the western and Arab countries the issue of the presence of the Hizb in Egypt is a special case and can cause great confusion. It is rare that an article or study has spent time discussing the Hizb and its presence in Egypt. This is especially as it has a contradicting stance to the other Islamic movements present in the Egyptian arena and it is rare that we sense the presence of the Hizb in a public form on the Egyptian street.

All of a sudden at the beginning of the Egyptian revolution and without prior warning statements and publications appeared bearing the name of the Hizb pressing the Egyptian people, directing them to its thoughts and addressing the Military Council and Army with strong words, in a clear and open challenge for the first time in decades for the Islamic movements that are wide spread and popular inside the walls of the Egyptian society.

In an effort to understand Hizb-ut-Tahrir in Egypt and its aims ‘IslamOnline’ has set up a meeting with one of the leadership of the Hizb in what is called the ‘Wilaayah of Egypt’, Mahmood Tarshooby the official spokesman of ‘Hizb-ut-Tahrir Egypt’ who was imprisoned for five years. We wish to discuss the most important facts about the Hizb, its plans and what its thoughts are at this stage in relation to returning to the Egyptian street which is fundamentally divided between the two movements of the Salafis and Ikhwaan.

Text of the dialogue:

An-Nabhaani and the beginning of the Hizb

Is it possible for you to define Hizb-ut-Tahrir for us in terms of its activities and objectives?

Hizb-ut-Tahrir began its activities in 1953 launching from Al-Quds under the leadership of its founder Taqiyud-Deen An-Nabhaani – May Allah’s mercy be on him – and he was one of the men and Scholars of Al-Azhar Ash-Shareef and graduated from the faculty of Sharee’ah after which he was employed as a Qaadi (judge) in the court of appeals in Al-Quds.

From his deep belief in the revealed message which is summarised in His سبحانه وتعالى words:

“Let there arise from amongst you an Ummah (group) that calls to the Khair, Orders the Ma’roof and Forbids the Munkar and they are those who are successful.” (Al-Imran, 3:104)

he launched his thought by the establishment of this Hizb with the aim of reviving the Islaamic Ummah from its severe decline which it had reached and liberating it from the Kufr (un-Islamic) thoughts, systems, rules as well as from the control of the disbelieving nations and their influence through the aim of returning the Islamic Khilafah state to existence so that the rule by what Allah has revealed returns, and that is with the resumption of the Islamic way of life and the carrying of the Islaamic Daw’ah to the world to change the reality of the corrupted society and transforming it to an Islamic society.

This occurs through the changing of the current thoughts into Islamic thoughts until the public opinion held by the people and the concepts drive them towards implementing them and the work that necessitates in addition to changing the emotions until they become Islamic emotions which are only pleased with what pleases Allah and are agitated and made anger by that which angers Allah, as well as the changing of the relationships in it (the society) until they run according to the rules of Islaam.

What is the method of the Hizb to realise this?

As for the method for the work of the Hizb then it is extracted from the Method of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم due to the statements of Allah سبحانه وتعالى:

“Indeed you have in the Messenger of Allah the best example for those who hope for Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah a lot”

and:

قل إن كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم

“Say: If you love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive your sins”

and:

وما آتاكم الرسول فخذوه وما نهاكم عنه فانتهوا

“And what the Messenger brings to you take it and what he forbids you from abstain from it”

in addition to other Aayaat that guide to the obligation of following the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and emulating him and restricting ourselves to take only from him and this method is manifested in three stages:

The first: The stage of culturing so as to find people who believe in the idea of the Hizb and its method so as to form a party block.

The second: The stage of interaction with the Ummah to carry Islaam to it until she takes it as her issue so as to work to bring it into the reality of life.

The third: The stage of being handed the rule and implementing Islaam in a complete manner and carrying it as a message to the world.

The Hizb began the stage of culturing and then went into the stage of interaction and it is currently in the process of seeking the Nusrah from those who are capable of protecting the Da’wah and of reaching the rule for the establishment of the Khilaafah and the implementation of Islaam . This is done with the continuation of the concentrated culturing in its circles, collective culturing to create a public opinion, as well as the struggle against the colonial disbelieving states and exposing their plans and conspiracies, and adopting the interests of the Ummah and taking care of her affairs. It continues in all of this with the hope from Allah to realise for it and the Islamic Ummah the victory and success and at that time the Muslims will rejoice with the coming of Allah’s victory.

The field of work and roadmap

What are the fields of work for the work of the Hizb and its activities and the mapping of its presence?

The Hizb began the work in some of the Arab lands and then expanded to most of the Arab countries and some of the non-Arab Islamic lands like Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Indonesia amongst others in addition to some of the European countries and the two Americas. It carries the Islamic Daw’ah challenging all that is other than it, it does not flatter, beautify its appearance or try to please others and as such has been exposed to severe harms from the oppressive rulers in terms of imprisonment, torture, being turned out of their homes, chased and victimised in terms of their trying to jeopardise their sustenance and interests, preventing them from travel in addition to killing them. All of this is despite the Hizb not using or undertaking any physical actions to defend itself or against the rulers in addition to all of the thoughts that the Hizb has adopted in its publications, books, internet sites and radio broadcasts all being derived from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Why did the Hizb take for itself the name: Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation) only without tying it to the term Islamic(i.e. Islamic Liberation Party) although its activities are Islamic and is working according to what you have said to resume the Islamic way of life via the establishment of the Islamic Khilaafah?

The Hizb has been named ‘Tahrir’ alone because the human is not liberated from the worship to other than Allah except with Islaam, and if we combine the name Hizb with Tahrir with Islaami then this means that there is something that can liberate the human being with something that is other than Islaam which is a matter that goes against the true reality which is sought by Islaam. Having said that there is no harm in using terminology to make clear what is intended.

The Wilaayah of Misr

How did the activity of the Hizb expand and reach to what you have named yourselves: ‘The Wilaayah of Egypt’ and what are its activities and have they been? And how has your relationship been with the ruling regime before the revolution and specifically with the ousted President Mubarak and his security apparatus?

The Hizb has engaged in its activities in Egypt the land of the Kinaanah and been exposed to harm since 1958 until the end of the oppressive regime in a number of ways. The political imprisonments began in 1960 and occurred in 1965, 1969, 1974, 1980 and finally in 2002 and those who were imprisoned have served their sentences and been released. Before the 25th of January the arrests were aggressive and oppressive and the sentences varied between one and five years in addition to imprisonment for years after the passing of the time of punishment with the pretence that there was a danger to the general public if they were released, curbing their freedoms and as a hostility against those who were carrying the Islamic Da’wah and working to resume the Islamic way of life via the establishment of the Islamic Khilafah.

In relation to the relationship between the Hizb and the ruling regime then it is completely severed because the Hizb accuses it with abandoning the implementation of the rules of Allah and accuses the rulers of allegiance to other than the believers and exposes its plans that it seeks to implement because they contradict with the legislation of Al-Hakeem and we call them to the establishment of the rightly guided Khilafah upon the path of the prophethood. In response the ruling regime insists on opposing the activity of the Hizb by imprisoning the Da’wah carriers, torturing them and sentencing them and this was exactly the same with the ousted president Mubarak.

The Hizb between isolation and exclusion

Are you not in a state of isolation from the Egyptian street in contrast with the other Islamic movements?

In regards to the publicised reputation of the Hizb in Egypt then this is not correct as the Hizb pays great attention to making its publications reach all of the rulers in Egypt and others, and to the thinkers, politicians and media amongst others. They know this but insist on a media blackout. In addition the website of the Hizb on the internet contains all of the publications, books and conferences related to all the worlds countries as well as live radio broadcast that makes the important news and analysis available to all.

In relation to the Hizb not infiltrating the Egyptian street like the other Islamic groups then this is because the internal security forces have imprisoned, tortured and sentenced the Da’wah carriers preventing their entry into the street whereas the other Islamic movements or some of them have been given permission by the internal security under guidelines and instructions from the higher state apparatus to work within limits which are permitted for them whilst the Hizb has not been permitted to undertake any activity.

The Messages of Hizb-ut-Tahrir

Would it be possible for you to tell me about the position of Hizb-ut-Tahrir Al-Islaami in regards to the Egyptian revolution, especially because there were contrasting positions between the Islamic movements and sometimes there was opposition to the very idea in terms of taking part in a revolution or going against the Wali Al-Amr (the legitimate ruler)?

The Hizb welcomes the actions of the youth of Egypt Al-Kinaanah who established the revolution and in which the whole Egyptian people took part, on condition that is that the purpose of it was the seeking of the pleasure of Allah and that it was done to raise the flag of Islaam and to resume the Islamic way of life , the establishment of the Islamic Khilafah and the liberation of Egypt and all of the Islamic lands from the un-Islamic (Kufr) thoughts, its systems and rules and the dominance of the disbelieving nations and their influence.

On the 9th of February 2011 the Hizb issued a leaflet addressing the people of Egypt the Kinaanah of Islam, the conquerors of the crusaders and Mongols, warning them from the deception of America and its agents in terms of attempting to beautify the fake regime which had fallen and was obligatory to be changed via the establishment of the rule of Islam.

On the 22nd June 2011 the Hizb issued a leaflet responding to the questioning of the direction of the revolution and the issue of whether it was required to place a constitution after the putting aside of the previous one before the elections or after the elections, demanding from the noble people of Egypt and their brave army to give the Nusrah (support) to Hizb-ut-Tahrir and to announce the establishment of the righteous Khilafah upon the path of the prophethood to be victorious with honour in this life with a great reward awaiting in the next.

On the 3rd July 2011 the Hizb issued a leaflet responding to the Azhar document which they published on the 20th June because of what it included in contraventions to the Islaamic rules to an extent that the people had not seen the like of this before even in the time of repression. The document confirmed the commitment to all international agreements and decisions which by definition means a clear recognition by Azhar of Israel, the establishment of relations with her and providing it with natural gas at the same time as she occupies Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa and what surrounds it of the blessed Islamic lands and when the Sharee’ah has obliged its liberation. It also means the acceptance of the decisions of the United Nations and its institutions which have been used to oppress the Muslims in many parts of the world and in particular the decisions of the Security Council which is controlled by America and the powerful nations. The Hizb put forward its Naseehah (advice) to Azhar to take back this document because the Sharee’ah alone is what is obligatory to commit to and abide by, returning to it and implementing it is the rule of Allah and it is Haraam (prohibited) for us to commit ourselves or to seek rule or go back to the international law and its decisions which has continuously been used to fight Islam (Is it the rule of Ignorance that you are seeking? (5:50)).

On the 8th July 2011 the Hizb issued a leaflet which included in it mention of insistence of the people of Egypt about the need to implement the Sharee’ah through the establishment of the Khilafah state despite the American campaign against that and those who propagate, in addition to a warning from their attempts to market and propagate a civil democratic secular state which separates the Deen from the state.

On the 11th July 2011 the Hizb issues a publication warning the noble people of Egypt and their brave army from attempts to abort the revolution through the stirring of fears about the absence of security, chaos, panic, economic breakdown and the relation to that and the revolution. In addition to the obligation to work to support the demand of the revolution to liberate the will of the people from oppression and tyranny, and striving to return the Ummah to its glory and liberate her from the western dominance which covers the Muslim lands as well as the need to continue the work to establish the Islamic Khilafah upon the path of the Prophethood.

On the 29th July 2001 the Hizb published a leaflet as a cry to the Military ruling council to choose the correct path without hesitation and this is the implementation of the Sharee’ah of Allah in a radical and complete manner through the announcement of the Islamic Khilafah state, so that Egypt becomes it place of establishment and the number one state in the world and this is because the Ummah in its entirety from its east to west is ready to sacrifice for the sake of the true path which is most deserving to be followed. And the Hizb made clear that it has ready and prepared a complete Islamic constitution which is ready to be implemented immediately with the announcement of the Khilafah state before time has been wasted and passed.

What is the shape of your relationship with the other Islamic movements in Egypt?

As far as the relationship between the Hizb and other political parties is concerned whether they are Islamic or not Islamic then there is nothing that prevents meeting and discussing with them to explain its opinion and to invite to its thoughts and Dustoor (constitution) that has been adopted in order to establish the Khilafah State and which has been derived solely from the Islamic Aqueedah and Islamic Sharee’ah rules.

The Dustoor (constitution) of the Hizb

What is the constitution that the Hizb has adopted?

In regards to the constitution adopted by the Hizb, it addresses in a complete way the systems of the State in ruling, economic, social and educational areas as well as its internal and foreign policy and by working according to it the Islamic way of life can be resumed in Egypt and the Islamic world. Its preparation was began by Sheikh Taqiyud-Deen An-Nabhaani and was assisted by a number of ‘Ulamaa from the Muslims who had graduated from Azhar in addition to others in terms of its preparation, revision and explanation of its evidences and binding reasons for every item of the constitution which has resulted in an encyclopaedia of Fiqh that is unprecedented .

The Dustoor of the Hizb or to say the Dustoor of the Khilafah State consists of 191 articles, it has been prepared since 1963 and discusses the general rules for the ruling system, the states organs, the economic and social systems, the education policy and foreign policy. It has with it an explanation for each of these articles showing the evidences from the Qur’an and the Sunnah from which the article has been taken, and it can be viewed as a encyclopaedia of Fiqh to define the Islamic understanding. It is required to believe in it and work to see it applied in life inside the Islamic state and to carry the Islamic Da’wah outside of the state by striving in the way of Allah.

The Hizb holds firmly onto the Dustoor that it has prepared and it is available for everyone to see. In addition there is nothing preventing the Hizb from being nominated in the elections of the ‘Peoples Assembly’ upon the basis of the mentioned constitution and the laws that have been extracted from it so as to adopt the interests of the Ummah, look after its affairs and to account the rulers upon its basis.

The New Hizb-ut-Tahrir

How do you view the reality of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in Egypt specifically? And have you thought about establishing a political party in Egypt?

In regards to the reality of the Hizb in Egypt and its future then the Hizb is striving at the current time to become a legal entity in accordance with the rules of the parties and that is so that it can realise its clear goal in its specific plan for Egypt becoming the Kinanah of Allah on this earth, the focal point of the Islamic world and bound in all of its affairs by the Islamic Aqueedah and Sharee’ah through the establishing of the Khilafah system which would fulfil the following aims:

Adopt the articles of the constitution and laws that achieve justice removing the depths of injustice from all of the Egyptian people,
culturing and scientific research that will achieve the revival in all fields,
shaping the public opinion which adopts the interests which fulfil and lead to living an honourable and noble life and exposing the plans that go against this,
the implementation of an economic system which is based on sufficiency and a just distribution of the wealth and resources,
the accounting of the Judiciary of all corruption
and finally the defence of the land and its liberation from whoever wishes to aggress against it in any area.

These goals will be published soon in a forthcoming official statement inshaAllah like what has been issued by other political parties that have an Islamic reference, so that the manner of treating Islamic movements does not reoccur like it did under the previous regime. I expect that we can obtain the 5000 required signatures in the shortest possible time InshaAllah so as to be added to the official political parties in Egypt and Allah is al-Muwaffiq and Al-Musta’aan.

Is the idea of Khilafah still firm in its place without budging until now…or are there additional demands which can be added to it and the agenda and thoughts of Hizb-ut-Tahrir Al-Islaami?

The thought of the Khilafah is the central thought that will never be diverted from and it is the pivotal issue for Hizb-ut-Tahrir.